Loop tail Ripper serial numbers...

[Bren Gunn]

How did you work the year out?

I thought there was no way of working it out...

[harris]

if we post a load up should no one way or another maybe
hears mine and dordys
pk 71828
pk 52865

[bodamus]

Heres mine PK 73454

From bodamus

[dj_benice]

pk59547

[crazycraig]

pk59547

what have you got a ripper pete

[dj_benice]

picked it up last night needs a seat tube job n some welding but s all good

[DR VINOAH]

PK61329

and

PK61828

i did pm OM over on his site ,but no reply as yet

to the great PK seriel number mystery

could be a job for captain caveman or maybe columbo

[harris]

well so far on most but 1 they all carry 2 same numbers   and last 2 digits are 9 10 or 11 added  means nowt i no

[DR VINOAH]

so could mine be

PK61629 and not PK61329

and PK61628 and not PK61828

[harris]

well we shall see when a load more apear only your first one has a double number missing

[Moose]

I thought the second number was the year?

1=81
2=83
3=83

9=79?

not sure though?

[harris]

looks good

[Moose]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's right now. I just had to confirm that the rippers first year was '79

[dj_benice]

so mine is a 79 then???

[Moose]

so mine is a 79 then???

I think so - yes

[Bren Gunn]

Sounds good

So PK70### = 1980?

[dj_benice]

any ideas on what the rest of the serial means???

[Moose]

PK = PK ripper (would be MR if it was a Ripper or Mini Ripper)
First number = month (it's entirly possible that this is not the month of manufacture but the month the drop-out was stamped)
Second number = year
Third, fourth and fifth number = sequential production number (there may be a sixth digit in some months in certain years where more than 1000 PK's were made in that month, but not very many)

Small print: this is not definative for all looptail rippers from '79-'84

[Tony S.]

I don't think there is a way to tell from the serial what year it is. I believe they just went up in number as the production went on.
I have a PK loop with serial PK25812 that came from a trusted source who got it from a friend who bought it new in 82.
I also have loops with PK48006, PK71853, and PK70813. 48006 makes it hard to believe the second digit is the year.

[Moose]

I just read the interview with Mike Devitt on VBMX and it seems they may have sometimes alternated month and year. This would mean the following for your PKs

PK25812 = 82 May (matches with the year purchased)

PK48006 = 84 Aug

PK71853 = July 81

PK70813 = July 80

48006 = 84 Aug?

If you assume that looptail PK's were made from 79-84 and the last 3 digits (or 4 depending on how many numbers in total) are the sequential product number then the other 2 should fit one way or the other. No?

[scottyp]

I agree mine pk66893 so that kind of finishes the year theory.
Isnt this an old discussion anyway, you cant actually tell when they where made by the serial number. The only indication of age is based on the shape of the drop out. The real early ones had race inc or was it fmf diamond shaped drop outs, and then theres the odd round top tube ones that were made when they run out of floval tubing. Otherwise its between 79 and 84. Accept it it is old and cool.

[scottyp]

anyway, Bren have you decided what colour/polished you are doing with your bargain yet?

[Moose]

I agree mine pk66893 so that kind of finishes the year theory.
Isnt this an old discussion anyway, you cant actually tell when they where made by the serial number. The only indication of age is based on the shape of the drop out. The real early ones had race inc or was it fmf diamond shaped drop outs, and then theres the odd round top tube ones that were made when they run out of floval tubing. Otherwise its between 79 and 84. Accept it it is old and cool.

I've only looked a ripper serial numbers fleetingly (hardly at all before today), but there may be some general pattern. Of course there may be anomilies - mis-stamped drop-outs etc, but I always ask the question 'why stamp the drop-outs at all if the numbers mean nothing'? Also, if the numbers mean nothing then how would the person doing the stamping know what the sequence was?

Look at Torker for example. Most still say Torkers can't be dated by serial numbers, but we have identified that Torker-made Haro's can be, so why not apply this theory to Torkers? Unfortunately,I have not had much feedback from Torker owners to build enough information for the amount of years they were in production. So I have lost interest.

..........oh well never mind. I've lost interest in PK numbers already...............................

[dordymush]

oh well never mind. I've lost interest in PK numbers already

keep at it phil.
i'd like to know what year mine was  .

[Bob_Acid]

I seem to remember that they started to date them very early on but things ran away from them quite quickly and they lost track so they gave up. They did have records of serials and dates of manufacture but they were destroyed, quite recently i believe. I'm with Scott on this one.